Waiting 'Round to Die

"Waiting 'Round to Die"
Song

"Waiting Round to Die" is a folk/country song written and recorded by Texas singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt. One of Van Zandt's more famous songs, "Waiting 'Round to Die" chronicles the life of a fictional drifter as he passes sadly through the experiences of an abusive father, the abandonment of his mother, drug and alcohol abuse, fast women, and even prison. The song appeared first on Van Zandt's debut album, For the Sake of the Song, in 1967, and later on his 1969 release Townes Van Zandt. Several live albums, notably Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas also feature the song.

The song appears on the classic documentary of 1970's outlaw country music, Heartworn Highways, where Van Zandt is seen performing in his Austin, Texas home with his girlfriend Cindy, who later became his second wife, and his good friend the "Walking Blacksmith" Seymore Washington. At one point during the performance, Washington, a 75 year old man, is visibly seen crying as Van Zandt plays.

In a biographical documentary about the life and work of Townes Van Zandt, Be Here to Love Me, Townes' first wife is seen informing the audience that "Waiting 'Round To Die" was the first song Van Zandt composed during their marriage in his small apartment in Houston, Texas.

The song was covered by The Lemonheads, The Be Good Tanyas, and was featured in an episode of Breaking Bad.